What sort of Labradors come into rescue?

We get Labradors of all three colours – yellow, black and chocolate – and all ages from young puppies (only occasionally) up to very elderly 15 year olds.

Why do Labradors need to be rescued?

In most cases, the dogs come into rescue because of marital break-up/divorce, illness, death, emigration, financial hardship, allergic reactions by family members, retired/failed working dogs, strays from Council Pounds and many other reasons including, occasionally, abuse. Some also come in as their owners are unable to give them the time they need for daily walks and stimulating exercise.

It does mean that a number of the dogs require training as many of their original owners do not realise that Labradors grow very quickly and need a lot of training, time and effort.

How many dogs do you rehome?

We are currently helping between 600 to 700 dogs a year – about 12 dogs a week.

What happens when I want a dog?

You will be visited by one of our trained Helpers who will take details about the type of dog you are looking for. Once your home has been visited and is considered suitable (and we will also need to look at your garden and fencing), the Helper will then talk to their Area Co-ordinator and they will try and find a suitable dog that we have carefully considered will match your family and the facilities that you are able to offer.

I work full-time; can I have a dog from The Trust?

If you work at home, or are able to take the dog to work with you, the answer is probably Yes. However, if you are out all day, and the dog will be left alone for more than four hours at a time, the answer will probably be No. People’s situations are different and we consider all the facts before making our decision.

I live in a flat, can I have a dog?

Although we won’t say a definite ‘NO’ if you live in a ground floor flat or you live in a home without a garden, but we will have to consider any application very carefully.

How quickly will I get a dog?

This will depend on how flexible you are on the sex, colour and age of the dog to whom you are prepared to offer a home and whether you are prepared to carry out any additional training that the dog may require. We try to arrange to move our dogs directly from their existing home to their new home on the same day – thereby causing as little stress as possible for the dog.

Sometimes the dog may be placed into a foster home and in some emergency cases, the dog may be kenneled. When this is the case, it is sometimes possible to go and see the dog.

What happens if I change my mind?

If you do not wish to proceed or you get a dog from another source, please let us know.

What information will I get to know about the dog’s background?

The Trust endeavours to give as much detail about the dog’s history and veterinary health as possible. We will try and answer any question you may have about the dog. We will also advise on the amount of feeding and exercise for each individual dog.

We are only able to pass on the information that the previous owner gives us. We have to assume that they have given us truthful information. Where there is no known previous owner, as in the case of strays, we can only pass on the information that our Helpers, and possibly the boarding kennel staff, have been able to discover whilst the dog has been in our charge.

Will the former owner contact me?

No – The Trust ensures anonymity and will not divulge the details of the dog’s new home. All dogs are rehomed at least 20 miles from their original home in an effort to ensure that this anonymity is retained.

What happens when I take on a dog?

After you have adopted one of our dogs, our Helper will contact you within two/three days followed by another call a week or so later to check that all is well. We will then follow up with a 3 month and 6 month check to ensure that there are no further problems. Any new home is able to contact The Trust at any time for information, practical advice and any guidance they may need. You can either call your assigned Helper or your Area Co-ordinator or email The Trust on enquiries@labrador-rescue.com.

We do recommend that when you get your new dog, that on the first visit to your veterinary surgery, you ask that your new dog is scanned to see whether he has a microchip. We do sometimes take dogs into rescue and their owners have forgotten to tell us that their dog is microchipped. If this is the case, then we would ask you to contact The Trust and let us know the number so that we can inform the microchip company and ensure that the dog is transferred into the name of The Trust. We are working towards microchipping all dogs coming into The Trust, but as the equipment is expensive to buy, not all of our helpers will have ready access to a scanner or microchip equipment and so we cannot check every dog that comes into us. It is of course very important to get the dog’s details changed when he moves to his new home.

Many of our new homes remain in touch and regularly support The Trust at many events that we hold or attend or they become a supporter and receive our Newsletter. Some help The Trust in many other ways, including organising collections, helping to foster dogs and even becoming Helpers themselves.

The Trust retains a lifelong interest in every dog that it rehomes and, if at any time you cannot keep your rescued Labrador or they do not settle, then they must be returned to The Trust. The dog may not be rehomed by you or given to anyone else.

How much does it cost?

The Trust will ask for a donation for the dog and this will depend on his age, but you will be advised at the time of the visit by your assigned Helper and this will be confirmed when your home check has been completed and when we have matched you to a suitable dog.

What else do I need to know?

Keep checking the website for up-to-date news and information on additions to our merchandise range and sponsorship dogs and to see what events we are attending. We always have a new range of Christmas cards and merchandise every year and you are welcome to go onto our mailing list by sending your name, address and email to database@labrador-rescue.com. Please insert the words “Add to Mailing Database” in the subject line of your email message.

If I give up a dog, what happens?

When a dog comes into the care of The Trust we will retain a lifelong interest in the dog. We never put a dog to sleep unless it is essential on veterinary grounds and on the advice of a veterinary surgeon or that, after full consultation, the dog is considered to be a genuine danger to the public. We will rescue any Labrador of any age (although with some older dogs we may ask for a recent veterinary report). When you have made the decision to rehome your dog through us, you will be contacted by our nearest voluntary Helper, who will come and visit you and assess your dog. We will then contact you again to let you know when we are able to rehome your dog and will arrange to call and take your dog to his new home. We are able, in some cases, to rehome your dog immediately and may, with agreement, take the dog away very quickly and sometimes we can do this in an emergency.

We do ask for a donation when you give up your dog in order to help towards transportation costs and possibly any kenneling and veterinary costs that may arise.

It would help The Trust enormously if you are able to supply us with the veterinary record, including the name, address and telephone number of your veterinary surgery and dates of your dog’s last inoculation, worming and fleaspraying.

Why do we charge a donation to new homes and former owners?

We ask for donations in order to help towards the costs that we have to incur in respect of transportation, veterinary charges, temporary fostering expenses or emergency kenneling. Many dogs that come into rescue are fit and healthy but we do see a considerable number that need immediate veterinary treatment. Some come with pre-existing conditions which require permanent veterinary costs and, as we retain a lifelong interest in every dog that we rehome, we have to ensure that funds are available so that they receive the veterinary treatment that they need throughout their lives.

The Trust also needs to pay for all the associated costs with rehoming, including telephone charges, insurance and stationery as well as on-going maintenance, road fund tax, MOTs and insurance for our five vehicles.

Nobody who works with The Trust is paid; ALL funds go to help in the rehoming of Labradors in need.

What we receive in terms of donations from new owners and former owners does not cover the average cost of rehoming one of our dogs. The current average cost to The Trust is £377.04 per dog for all expenses (with approximately £120 attributable to neutering costs) (May 2011).

What happens when I take on a dog with a pre-existing condition or an elderly dog?

With many of our dogs that are elderly or have a pre-existing medical condition, we will place these dogs into a new home as a Supported Adopted Dog. The Trust sometimes covers the cost of veterinary treatment that may be required for the remainder of the dog’s life that relates to a pre-existing condition. Obviously if our new homes are able to assist with payments, this will allow us to continue rescuing other Labradors in need.

Who helps The Trust?

The Trust has no paid employees and no kennels. We are all completely voluntary and Volunteers give up a great deal of their time to Labrador Rescue. We receive no funding from any bodies and all funds raised go to help in the rehoming of needy Labradors. We do ask for a little patience sometimes as many of our Helpers also work and have their own family and dogs to look after and occasionally take holidays. All our contact numbers will have an answerphone if we are unavailable. Do please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as we can.

Can I help The Trust?

The Labrador Rescue Trust always needs more volunteers (all help is on a voluntary and unpaid basis) and if you are able to help in any way then do please contact your local Area Co-ordinator click here to find your Co-ordinator. Full training will be given. Some experience with Labradors and in the dog rescue field would be useful.

Devon and Somerset borders around Axminster and Minehead and surrounding areas in Somerset

Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire

Fund-raisers in Devon

We currently have specific volunteer vacancies for:

Kids’ Club Co-ordinator

Recycling Co-ordinator

PLEASE NOTE:
As The Trust does not have a rehoming centre or run any boarding kennels, we do not have any volunteering opportunities available for work placements or work experience. We also cannot accept under 18’s or college students who are looking for course study experience.

What is The Trust’s policy on neutering?

We are pleased to confirm that The Trust will be using the proceeds from an unexpected legacy to pay for the neutering of all dogs re-homed by The Trust from 1st June 2008. Neutering will be carried out at selected vets across the South West and new homes will receive a voucher detailing the dog’s name, the Labrador Rescue Trust number and the name of the closest vet. Your helper, area co-ordinator or vet will advise you on a suitable time for the neutering to take place depending on the dog’s age and general health. The Trust is unable to pay for operations carried out by vets who are not in our neutering scheme except in exceptional circumstances when it is in the best interest of the dog.

Will my dog be microchipped?

Microchipping is widely recognised as the most efficient and productive means of pet identification. Each year thousands of pets are lost or stolen and implanting a microchip vastly increases a pet’s change of getting home safely. It is an inexpensive form of identification that cannot be lost, altered or intentionally removed once implanted. The process is quick and painless and will give peace of mind to the owner. For vets, dog wardens, rescue centres, police and local councils, it is a simple, practical and quick procedure that can help an individual owner and their pet.

It is the policy of The Labrador Rescue Trust to microchip as many dogs as possible who come into our ownership, but inevitably this is not always possible at the time the dog changes homes. If your dog is not microchipped, please contact our Microchip Officer, Hilary Watson, Tel: 07791 519084 or email microchips@labrador-rescue.com. A number of our Helpers throughout the area covered by The Trust are trained to microchip dogs using the most modern and up to date equipment.

All dogs rehomed by The Labrador Rescue Trust are chipped free of charge.

Perhaps you could organise a chipping session on our behalf? Invite your friends to bring their dogs along. We charge £15.00 to microchip non – Labrador Rescue Trust dogs, which is significantly less than the fee charged by most vets. This helps boost our funds to contribute towards the cost of providing this service.

You could also check on the list of events on this website. We normally would have a trained helper available to microchip dogs attending our functions. Check with the organiser.

Is there a list of available dogs?

We do not publish a list of available dogs for rehoming on the website as the situation changes daily with availability of dogs and some people were looking at the site and wanting “only that dog”. Many are disappointed to discover that either the dog had been placed, they weren’t suitable, they hadn’t had a home check and couldn’t be considered until they had, they didn’t live in our area of coverage etc. The Area Coordinator in your locality will need to arrange a home visit when you are able to have a dog before we can consider you for any dogs that we might have – we will then assess any dogs that could be suitable for you at that time.

Can I visit The Trust?

Unfortunately the answer is no. We do not have a rehoming centre and we do not run any boarding kennels. Our registered office houses our accountants and auditors and there are no Labrador Rescue volunteers operating from this building.